Gateway to Mexico and the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument.

Location /Description / History

Ajo  pronounced Ah-ho  is located in western Pima County in the western part of Arizona. It is south of Interstate 8 and just off State Highway 85. It is approximately 110 miles from Phoenix and 131 miles from Tucson. It is a gateway into Mexico and to the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. It is famous for its Spanish colonial architecture, historic railway station, relaxed charm, breathtaking vistas, and vibrant sunsets.

Ajo is an ethnically diverse community and the birthplace of copper mining in Arizona. The principal source of the town’s economy is tourism, though Phelps Dodge hopes to re-establish the copper mining industry which ceased operation in 1986. It is a popular tourist destination and retirement community offering a somewhat inexpensive lifestyle. It has also become the home of border patrollers of late. Ajo is a gateway for visitors traveling to Mexico, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, and the Tohono O’odham Indian Reservation (and its casino.)

In Spanish, ajo means “garlic.” Wild garlic plants (the Ajo lily or desert lily  an onion-like plant) that grew in the surrounding hills were responsible for the naming of the community. Some also suspect the name comes from Papago Indian word for “paint.” The Papago Indians obtained red paint pigments from this area.

Population / Elevation

Historic & Points of Interest

The
heart of Ajo is The Ajo Plaza, a Spanish Colonial Revival town
square built in 1917. The lovely plaza is lined by tall palms and flanked by
mission churches and Spanish-style buildings. Festivals are held in the plaza.
It was built at the direction of mining pioneer John Greenway. His wife Isabella
later became the first woman elected to Congress by Arizona. The Catholic church
was designed by George Washington Smith, a Santa Barbara, California architect
whom Isabella had met. The church was built in 1924-25. The Protestant church
was built in 1927 and influenced by the same architect. He died however before
it was built and does not get full credit for it. Mrs. Isabella Greenway
donated some funds in her deceased husband's honor (John Greenway died Jan. 1926)
towards its completion and her name is on the plaque in front of the church.

Resources & Nearby Attractions

Resources

Sonayta, Mexico  bustling sout-of-the-border town famous for crafts and shopping

Puerto Penasco, aka Rocky Point  a resort town located two hours south on the Sea of Cortez in Sonora, Mexico. Puerto Penasco was at one time a fishing village and has shops for tourists and delicious fresh shrimp that tourists bring back across the border.

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